Hi Guys,

Two days ago, I found a simple treatment which is efficient in killing the pains within 5-10 mins and greatly reduces the number of crisis per day. This means it is probably healing the nerves.

I will go straight to the tip before any literature. Get the hottest and most efficient menthol balm you know, and I really mean "hot", then apply it in your nostrils each time you feel an attack coming.
Equally apply it to the back of your neck where the vertebral column meets the skull. Places of server pains should be identified and balm applied.
You should experience a sharp pain in your nostrils, but bearable compared to the cluster pains. Find a calm room without bright lights and take a rest, sitting upright, straight, without leaning your head on anything.
Within 5-10 minutes you will be relieved and gain back your normal activity.
These balms are normally natural and have no known side effects. They are cheap and applied in small quantities.
The literature below will throw some light on why it works.

I am African form Cameroon and I'm currently experiencing my second cluster after a 2 years remission. I got interested in knowing the nerves involved in my agonizing pains and learnt a whole lot.

Cluster headaches can result from 2 disorders known as Trigeminal Neuralgia (TN) or Occipital Neuralgia (ON), which  causes pains on the Trigeminal Nerves or Occipital Nerves respectively.
Identifying in which branch you fall is important because it helps identify the nerves on which to apply the balm.

If you make a little google search on the above neuralgia, you would know your case. Mine for instance is TN because I feel the pains on the right side, my nose, back of eye, eye lids, scalp, gums, teeth, cheek, which corresponds to the Trigeminal nerves.

Since the nose is very sensitive because it is highly inervated by the TN, applying the "hot" balm in the nose affects directly the nerve terminations of the TN. Applying the "hot" balm in the back neck is obligatory because both the TN and ON originates at that point.

In this way I spent my first days without attack during this cluster period. The pains in the nose due to the "hot" balm is a bit painful but very bearable for CH patients like you n I, especially when in 5mins you find your cluster recessing.

Please try it and comment, and lets know if this treatment is an isolated case or a general solution.
The Balm I use is called LOKO - green in colour (made in Nigeria, probably by a Chinese factory) and its the "hottest" balm I've ever used in my life. It's cheap; less than 2 USD and can be used +1month (because too hot, so used in minute quantities lol)
You could try with the best you have, but if not satisfactory we can see how I will send you the balm.

I am just too glad I found this relief and treatment.

NFOR GODWIL wrote on Aug 18^th, 2018 at 5:43pm:

G'day,  NFOR.  Would you mind explaining this part a bit more for me. 

Thanks, mate,

Brian.

Thanks, NFOR.  I shall have a good think about this.

Good day Mike.

Thanks very much, your message is quite edifying. I learnt much through you.

As you well pointed out, I read about HYPOTHALAMIC CH and NON-HYPOTHALAMIC CH, but I was a bit confused when in one article I read that failure of nerve block injections meant the CH was hypothalamic. I may be wrong but I think the nerve blocks are injected on the occipital nerves behind the neck, and not the trigeminal nerve (closer to hypothalamus).

Very few symptoms of CH involve pains related to occipital innervated zones of the head whereas a great majority involve trigeminal innervated zones.

Occipital nerves innervate the back of the head up to the scalp, and back of ears. So once you feel pains beyond those zones i.e. feeling pains behind eye, nose, gum, teeth, cheek, etc. then something should be messing up your trigeminal nerves, which are normally the nerves in control of these zones, be it hypothalamic or non-hypthalamic CH.

Like in my case, I feel pains in trigeminal controled zones, so I can conclude my trigeminal nerves are implicated.
Applying my "super hot" balm (similar to the capsaicin as you said, thanks) in my nostrils, I attack directly the trigeminal nerves and I am practically instantly relieved. This without me knowing my CH is hypothalamic or not.

On the other hand when I apply only at the back of the neck on the occipital nerves, pains can still escalate. Fortunately for me, I am spending another day without pains.

Pardon my ignorance on some issues and help me throw more light on them.

Thanks.

I'm still thinking about it,  NFOR.  It's a really interesting idea you've put forward.